SHOU4 Proteins Regulate Trafficking of Cellulose Synthase Complexes to the Plasma Membrane.

Cell walls play critical roles in plants, regulating tissue mechanics, defining the extent and orientation of cell expansion, and providing a physical barrier against pathogen attack [1]. Cellulose microfibrils, which are synthesized by plasma membrane-localized cellulose synthase (CESA) complexes, are the primary load-bearing elements of plant cell walls [2]. Cell walls are dynamic structures that are regulated in part by cell wall integrity (CWI)-monitoring systems that feed back to modulate wall properties and the synthesis of new wall components [3].

The links between agriculture, mosquitoes, and malaria risk in children younger than 5 years in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a population-based, cross-sectional, spatial study.

Background: The relationship between agriculture, mosquitoes, and malaria in Africa is not fully understood, but it is important for malaria control as countries consider expanding agricultural projects to address population growth and food demand. Therefore, we aimed to assess the effect of agriculture on biting behaviour and malaria risk in children in rural areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo).

Methods: We did a population-based, cross-sectional, spatial study of rural children (<5 years) in the DR Congo.

Plasmodium falciparum genetic variation of var2csa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Background: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) bears a high burden of malaria, which is exacerbated in pregnant women. The VAR2CSA protein plays a crucial role in pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM), and hence quantifying diversity at the var2csa locus in the DRC is important in understanding the basic epidemiology of PAM, and in developing a robust vaccine against PAM.

Methods: Samples were taken from the 2013-14 Demographic and Health Survey conducted in the DRC, focusing on children under 5 years of age.

Surveillance for sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine resistant malaria parasites in the Lake and Southern Zones, Tanzania, using pooling and next-generation sequencing.

Background: Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) remains a major public health challenge in areas of high malaria transmission. Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is recommended to prevent the adverse consequences of MiP. The effectiveness of SP for IPTp may be reduced in areas where the dhps581 mutation (a key marker of high level SP resistance) is found; this mutation was previously reported to be common in the Tanga Region of northern Tanzania, but there are limited data from other areas.

Pfhrp2-Deleted Plasmodium falciparum Parasites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A National Cross-sectional Survey.

Background: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) account for more than two-thirds of malaria diagnoses in Africa. Deletions of the Plasmodium falciparum hrp2 (pfhrp2) gene cause false-negative RDT results and have never been investigated on a national level. Spread of pfhrp2-deleted P.

Low prevalence of Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale mono-infections among children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a population-based, cross-sectional study.

Background: In an effort to improve surveillance for epidemiological and clinical outcomes, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have become increasingly widespread as cost-effective and field-ready methods of malaria diagnosis. However, there are concerns that using RDTs specific to Plasmodium falciparum may lead to missed detection of other malaria species such as Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale.

Methods: Four hundred and sixty six samples were selected from children under 5 years old in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who took part in a Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) in 2013-14.

Malaria surveillance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: comparison of microscopy, PCR, and rapid diagnostic test.

Malaria surveillance is critical for control efforts, but diagnostic methods frequently disagree. Here, we compare microscopy, PCR, and a rapid diagnostic test in 7137 samples from children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo using latent class analysis. PCR had the highest sensitivity (94.

Is prostate cancer changing?: evolving patterns of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) most commonly metastasizes to the bone, and less commonly to nonosseous sites (eg, lymph nodes, liver, lung). With new therapies extending survival in mCRPC, it was hypothesized that the pattern of metastases is changing over time. The pattern of metastatic disease was evaluated in men with mCRPC, as reported in baseline characteristics of prospective clinical trials over 2 decades.

Alterations in auxin homeostasis suppress defects in cell wall function.

The plant cell wall is a highly dynamic structure that changes in response to both environmental and developmental cues. It plays important roles throughout plant growth and development in determining the orientation and extent of cell expansion, providing structural support and acting as a barrier to pathogens. Despite the importance of the cell wall, the signaling pathways regulating its function are not well understood.